Dial-a-Ride

Caroline Pidgeon: Please declare your first two-quarters operational statistics for 2019/20:
The number of requested trips.


The number of completed trips.
Please also state the number of refusals in the period 2019/2020.
Please also declare the same statistics for requested, completed and refused trips in 2018/19 and for the year 2004/5.

The Mayor: The operational statistics requested are provided in the attached table.

TfL winter resilience

Andrew Dismore: Please state:
1. What is the total in kilometres of road gritted (or other similar winter preparation) by TfL in each quarter from 2015 to the present?
2. What quantity of grit (and similar substances for winter de-icing) has TfL a) used and b) purchased in each year from 2015 to the present?
3. How many publicly accessible grit bins does TfL maintain? Please provide this figure for each year from 2015 to the present.
4. Please provide the location (street address) of each TfL publicly accessible grit bin.
5. How many road gritting vehicles does TfL have access to?
6. What is TfL’s total spend on winter services on roads in each year from 2015 to the present?

The Mayor: 1. Transport for London (TfL) records the amount of salt that is used rather than the number of kilometres gritted
2. TfL does not purchase salt directly, as it is provided as part of the London Highways Alliance Contract. All of the contractors hold a minimum of 11,250 tonnes
Over previous years the salt has been used as below:
2015-16
5025t
2016-17
4967t
2017-18
6045t
2018-19
3272t
2019-20
254t
3. TfL does not provide publicly-accessible grit bins, but some of the boroughs may do
4. Please see question 3
5. TfL’s highways maintenance contractors have access to 37 gritters that have ploughs to cover the TfL Road Network, as well as two mini gritters for the segregated cycleways.
6. The total spend on winter service on roads for each financial year since 2015 is detailed below. TfL will be able to provide figures for the current financial year in April
14/15
£2,154,097.21
15/16
£2,039,899.70
16/17
£2,115,267.13
17/18
£3,104,648.21
18/19
£2,060,310.70

Rough Sleepers

Peter Whittle: To ask the Mayor, what percentage of rough sleepers in London are not UK nationals?

The Mayor: The 2018/19 annual figure from the CHAIN database showed that 51 per centof rough sleepers were non-UK nationals. The latest quarterly figure (July-September 2019) reported this as 52 per cent.

Queen’s speech 2019 – building safety bill

Andrew Dismore: What discussions have you had with the Government regarding the Building Safety Bill outlined in the December 2019 Queen’s speech?

The Mayor: My officers are in regular contact with Government officials about all aspects of its plans for building safety reforms. This includes responding to consultations on proposed reforms. Once the Government has published more detailed information on the content of the Bill, I will be able to respond in greater detail. In the meantime, my Homes for Londoners Board has written to the Secretary of State setting out urgent steps the Government should take on building safety.

Total costs of building remediation

Andrew Dismore: What estimate have housing sector delivery partners made of the cost and time scale for remediating all fire safety problems in their housing stock?

The Mayor: My team is working closely with partners across the housing sector to understand the impact of the building safety crisis. No single figure exists, but some organisations have produced estimates that give a sense of scale. For example, the g15 group of London’s largest housing associations has produced estimates based on assumptions about the likelihood that their tall buildings (over 18 metres) will require remediation and the likely costs that this would entail. Their central estimate is £4.3 billion, although the actual cost could be considerably lower or higher than this if different assumptions are used.
Many social landlords have highlighted that remediation costs are likely to restrict their ability to deliver new affordable homes. Before Christmas, my Homes for Londoners Board wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local to point out the scale of the problem and call on the Government to widen the scope of existing funding to cover all types of unsafe cladding and interim safety measures.

Valuing high-rise buildings with flammable cladding

Andrew Dismore: What impact will the new valuation process for high rise buildings with flammable cladding, agreed by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, UK Finance, and Building Societies Association, have on the London housing market?

The Mayor: The new valuation process is a positive first step, but it is unlikely to resolve the crisis. For example, across the G15 group of London housing associations, there are at least 650 households currently unable to move or remortgage due to this issue.
This is a national problem. Before Christmas, members of my Homes for Londoners Board wrote to the Secretary of State urging decisive action from the Government. Amongst other things, this letter called on the Government to review and clarify the contradictory and confusing Advice Notes which have led to issues with the valuation process.

Accommodation for Grenfell Tower residents

Andrew Dismore: Are you concerned that more than two years after the Grenfell Tower fire, nine families are still not in a permanent home?

The Mayor: It is unacceptable that families who have been through the trauma of losing neighbours, friends and family members have had to wait so long for a new, permanent home. I provided funding for the purchase of homes for Grenfell survivors and I have written to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Government to highlight the rehousing failures.

Completion of remediation works in London

Andrew Dismore: On the basis of the GLA’s administration of the cladding remediation funds, when do you expect a) all buildings to have begun works and b) all buildings to have completed works?

The Mayor: I criticised the Government for committing to dates for remediation completion which were not based on evidence. Start on site and completion dates will only be confirmed once a building owner has entered into a contract for the remediation works. Many buildings in the private sector are still some time away from reaching this position. Even once the works contract is in place, remediation can take longer than anticipated if wider safety issues are uncovered, as has been the case in many social sector blocks. For these reasons, I will not speculate on when remediation will start and complete.

Shared ownership

Siân Berry: Do you believe that shared ownership schemes make genuinely affordable homes available to a wide enough range of Londoners?

The Mayor: Yes. GLA analysis of MHCLG’s CORE data set shows that shared ownership caters both for those households on relatively lower incomes who would struggle to afford private rents, as well as those households who aspire to own their own home. For instance, in 2017/18 no households purchasing shared ownership could afford to buy in the borough they were currently living in, and over half could not afford the average private rent in London. The main problem in London is the lack of Government funding for social rent to complement the funding for shared ownership. That is why I continue to push Ministers to provide resources for a much larger affordable homes programme.

Dial-a-Ride (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Next year the Woodford depot will be closing which accounts for one third of all London Dial a Ride completed trips. I also understand that TfL has a site in Beckton which runs alongside the A13. Is there a date when this depot will be operational? Are there any plans to merge other depots into this larger new location? Please also address concerns that exist around rush hour gridlock on the A13. What assessment has been made on early and late trips and how will they be handled in future?

The Mayor: Dial-a-Ride (DaR) has security of tenancy at the current Woodford depot until 2024.However, to ensure the service makes a smooth transition to any new site with no disruption to customers, Transport for London (TfL) has begun looking for alternative locations.
TfL is discussing with the London Borough of Newham the possibility of building a new depot in Beckton, as well as looking at other sites should this option not be feasible for planning, cost or operating reasons. As the talks are exploratory, there is no date for a move to a new location and the option isn’t part of a wider plan to combine DaR depots.
TfL certainly considers local traffic, passenger travel patterns and the potential for enhanced customer access when it is looking for new Dial-a-Ride locations, and the potential Beckton site would meet these.

TfL 2016 decision to stop conducting safety audits on its Bus Contractors

Caroline Pidgeon: Following up Question 2019/4034please provide me with any decision memorandums, emails, notes of discussions, agendas and minutes of all meetings relating to TfL’s 2016 decision to stop conducting safety audits of its bus contractors.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) did not decide to stop conducting safety audits of its bus contractors, but instead renamed the checks as Assurance Visits. This was in order to create a more collaborative dynamic with its contracted bus operators – as explained in my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/4034. These visits are led by TfL’s Safety, Health and Environment managers, and provide an opportunity for two-way dialogue. They are collated quarterly, in line with other parts of TfL.
The content of the visits has changed over time in order to seek continual improvement from the bus operators. As well as providing evidence of robust and mature safety management systems, the purpose of the visits is to encourage an open discussion about the operators’ safety cultures and to see evidence of this not just in their written procedures, but in their operations and when speaking to their staff too. The shift in focus has also led to more attention being paid to areas that will lead to a reduction in road risk, rather than just safety within the bus garages.
The assurance process allows TfL to satisfy itself that there is legal compliance, and at the same time, work collaboratively with the operator to increase safety maturity and find new ways to continuously improve operators’ safety practices.

Knife Crime (1)

Shaun Bailey: What will you be doing differently in 2020 to stem the rise in knife crime and homicides?

The Mayor: The Violence Reduction Unit is taking a long-term public health approach to reducing violence overall, for the largest number of people, rather than focusing on the aftermath of violent crime. This means putting communities and young people at the heart of tackling the issue. To help us achieve this, the 2020 programme of work includes education and inclusion-based projects, community-based projects together with specific projects for young people, youth practitioners, support to communities and Local Authorities in response to critical incidents; as well as other pilot community and parent group programmes.

RAF Northolt (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: According to a recent poll by the Regional Business Airports Group, 68% of local residents in Uxbridge were unaware of the re-opening of RAF Northolt to commercial flights on the 11th November 2019. In July 2017, in answer to Mayoral Question 2017/2827, you informed me that you would “ensure that no changes occur at RAF Northolt without the consent of local communities.” In light of this can you confirm that you will raise local residents’ concerns with the Government?

The Mayor: My response to your Mayoral Question 2017/2827 stated that I was not aware of any formal proposals to expand the number of commercial flights from RAF Northolt and that I would monitor the situation and seek to ensure that no changes occur at RAF Northolt without the consent of local communities.
That response stands. The airfield has reopened after its runway renovation. I am not aware of any formal proposals to increase commercial flying but will continue to monitor the situation.

RAF Northolt (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand that RAF Northolt re-opened to commercial flights on 11th November 2019 following a £23 million renovation, with London City Airport now running commercial flights from RAF Northolt through its Premier Passenger Service. This is being marketed to luxury flyers as “London’s VIP Airport” and with its website showing an Airbus A330, with capacity for 335 passengers and a Boeing 747, which can carry up to 660 passengers. Have you or TfL been consulted by the Ministry of Defence over these developments?

The Mayor: Your question refers to the marketing of RAF Northolt online rather than any formal proposals to change the operations at the airfield. Neither Transport for London nor I have been consulted about the airfield’s marketing material. I am also not aware of any formal proposals to increase commercial flying at this airport.
Please also see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20686.

Dial-a-Ride (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Please declare the number of Dial a ride complaints TfL has received on a year by year basis including the difference between the years and percentages for the last five consecutive years up to 2018/19. Please also declare the number of Dial a Ride feedback issues TfL received on a year by year basis including the difference between the years and percentages for the last five consecutive years up to 2018/19.

The Mayor: The table below includes all complaints and negative feedback received regarding the Dial-a-Ride (DaR) service.This includes anything from a policy issue to a late arriving bus. In 2014/15 Transport for London received 1,907 items of feedback relating to Dial-a-Ride. In 2018/19, that figure had reduced to 701.
Customer feedback
Year
No. items
Difference to previous year
No
%
2014/15
1,907
146
8.3%
2015/16
1,302
-605
-31.7%
2016/17
1,081
-221
-17.0%
2017/18
841
-240
-22.2%
2018/19
701
-140
-16.6%

Ensuring Bartrip Street South becomes a Designated Travellers Site

Jennette Arnold: How will you ensure that the Bartrip Street South site becomes a designated travellers site before LLDC funding runs out in May 2020?

The Mayor: We cannot estimate when the site will be ready to draw down funding from LLDC, however, my Homes for Londoners team are working hard to expedite bringing this site forward.
Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20645.

Look Up campaign

Florence Eshalomi: Does TfL have any plans to support awareness raising campaigns, such as the Look Up campaign, to improve journeys for people with visible and invisible accessibility needs?

The Mayor: Yes. Transport for London (TfL) is committed to improving journeys for all, including people with visible and invisible accessibility needs. TfL first ran its Priority Seating campaign in 2018, to mark the one year anniversary of the launch of the Please Offer Me a Seat badge.
I was also pleased that TfL responded positively to the Look Up campaign and has promoted its messages through customer announcements and on Tube information boards.
The broader campaigns will run again in February, April, August and November 2020.
TfL has also created a series of social media videos featuring the personal experiences of customers who have accessibility needs to help educate all customers on the variety of reasons people need a seat. These videos will run again alongside both campaigns in 2020.
In addition, the Please Offer Me a Seat badge continues to be available to anyone who needs a seat on public transport. There are also permanent seat covers on the Jubilee line priority seats which reinforces ‘Look Up’ messaging.
Finally, TfL continues to work with a variety of accessibility groups and charities to promote these campaigns and further understand those with visible and invisible accessibility needs.

Leaseholders in London (2)

Tom Copley: Since you launched your “Guide for Leaseholders” page on the London.gov website, how many unique views has it had?

The Mayor: Since its launch in February 2019, 8,750 unique users have accessed my Leasehold Guide for Londoners.

Leaseholders in London (3)

Tom Copley: Since you launched your “Guide for Leaseholders” page on the London.gov website, how have you updated it following emailed suggestions?

The Mayor: My Guide has recently been updated to include the latest advice for those concerned about unsafe cladding on their buildings. This update explains the GLA’s role and directs leaseholders to further sources of support. My team will continue to ensure that the guide is up to date and reflects the changing leasehold landscape.

GLA funded open market homes (2)

Tom Copley: With regard to the GLA funded open market homes in my previous questions 2019/20409 and 2019/17764, can you estimate how much funding has gone to these? If not, could you commit to providing this information for future homes, as well as information on the tenure?

The Mayor: Mayor's Question 2019/14462 requested details of how many open market homes reported in each of the last three years were grant funded. The GLA has not grant funded the construction of any of these open market homes. Given the number Mayor's Questions related to this are over the past few months my team will be happy to meet with you to brief you directly on this area and ensure your queries are fully addressed.

North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH)

Onkar Sahota: Please provide an update on development at the NMUH site that was acquired using the Mayor’s Land Fund.

The Mayor: I used my Land Fund to acquire the 1.37 hectare site at North Middlesex University Hospital in March 2019. The NHS Trust will continue to occupy the site until September 2021.
My Homes for Londoners team is working on proposals for redevelopment of the site which will ensure it delivers a minimum of 200 homes with at least 50 per centof these being genuinely affordable. We expect to launch the site to the London Development Panel (LDP) 2 next year.
My team is also working with the Trust to commission a masterplan for the future of the wider hospital site to identify how the Trust could improve and expand existing facilities, and ensure that any surplus land coming forward for residential development maximises the levels of genuinely affordable housing. This will ensure that any future plans for the hospital meet my six tests to ensure Londoners get the best healthcare possible.

Peabody index 2019 (1)

Jennette Arnold: Are you concerned that the latest Peabody index shows incomes for social housing tenants in London have fallen by 1.1%?

The Mayor: The average household income of London’s social housing tenants is less than half that of other Londoners, so any decrease is of real concern, and in particular at a time when record numbers of social housing tenants are in work.
The fall in social housing tenants’ real incomes reflects several factors: increases in the cost of living; the persistence of low pay and precarious employment; and harsh cuts to benefits over the last decade. Low pay and reduced benefits disproportionately affect those in social housing.
This is why I am taking action to tackle the issues facing low-income Londoners, for example, by encouraging employers to sign up to my Good Work Standard which has fair pay and conditions, including the London Living Wage, at its heart. I am also clear that the new Government must act swiftly to ensure benefits cover living and housing costs.

Shared ownership staircasing

Tom Copley: Is there any data available on “staircasing”, that is where a shared owner increases the ownership share in their property? If so, can this be broken down by borough?

The Mayor: Data on shared ownership staircasing is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in the Registered Provider Statistical Data Return dataset. Table 1 below shows the number of sales in which shared owners staircased to 100% ownership between 2016/17 and 2018/19.
The Statistical Data Return does not provide data on staircasing sales to less than 100% ownership, on the length of time taken to staircase, or the proportion of properties staircased to 100% by year of original sale.
Table 1: 100% staircased low cost home ownership sales
Borough
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
Barking and Dagenham
47
29
37
Barnet
68
20
24
Bexley
23
22
22
Brent
122
79
60
Bromley
24
11
19
Camden
94
50
16
Croydon
54
50
46
Ealing
88
52
49
Enfield
88
35
41
Greenwich
49
18
77
Hackney
86
52
63
Hammersmith and Fulham
41
18
29
Haringey
81
37
38
Harrow
75
31
33
Havering
25
9
17
Hillingdon
44
34
35
Hounslow
91
83
51
Islington
75
46
34
Kensington and Chelsea
11
8
9
Kingston upon Thames
9
6
6
Lambeth
81
74
54
Lewisham
29
17
66
Merton
14
12
18
Newham
38
44
72
Redbridge
20
16
14
Richmond upon Thames
13
12
9
Southwark
122
62
81
Sutton
17
18
17
Tower Hamlets
144
82
122
Waltham Forest
18
22
30
Wandsworth
79
53
58
Westminster
16
10
9
Grand Total
1,786
1,112
1,256

Speed of remediation buildings with ACM cladding (2)

Andrew Dismore: Since the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund opened for applications in September how many full applications have been made to the GLA; how many have been approved; how much money has been allocated to successful bids; what are you doing to encourage private sector freeholders to come forward with bids; and what are the main obstacles to applications coming forward?

The Mayor: Since the Private Sector Cladding Remediation Fund (PSCRF) opened for applications, no full works applications have yet been submitted to the Government’s applications board, and therefore none have been approved. One application for pre-tender support funding has so far been approved and £49,495.84 allocated.
My team is working closely with applicants to bring forward applications as quickly as possible, and helping the Government to streamline the application process. Unfortunately, however, the Government’s strategy for dealing with these buildings means that the pace of remediation is dictated by the building owners. It is also the case that designing safe replacement cladding solutions can take time, and building owners have reported difficulties in accessing competent professionals, as well as wider supply chain issues.

GLA funded open market homes (1)

Tom Copley: Could you clarify the responses to previous questions 2019/20409 and 2019/17764 that the “GLA has not directly funded construction of these units” despite appearing on the “GLA Housing Starts on Site and Completions” data release?

The Mayor: Mayor's Question 2019/14462 requested details of how many open market homes reported in each of the last three years were grant funded. The GLA has not grant funded the construction of any of these open market homes.
The open market homes reported within the GLA housing statistics are on sites that the GLA is supporting to unlock for development through loan, investment or grant funding.The open market homes are being built as a result of the GLA’s intervention to unlock these sites, and are therefore reported via GLA programmes.

Small sites

Siân Berry: How many small sites were made available for development by GLA group organisations in each year from 2016 to 2019?

The Mayor: The Small Sites, Small Builders programme enables public bodies, including GLA Group organisations, to advertise their small sites with relative ease to a wide market and also to keep track of development on land that is being disposed of. So far, this programme has helped bring forward nine sites in 2017/18, three in 2018/19 and a further nine in 2019/20. All of these were Transport for London owned sites and no sites were brought forward through this route in 2016/17. The programme is open to London Boroughs to use and a further 21 sites have been brought to the market through this route.
Some sites may have been brought forward by GLA Group members through other routes. Officers are gathering this information and will provide an update when it is available.

Evaluating the Health Inequalities Strategy (4)

Onkar Sahota: Your Health Inequalities Strategy rightly called for action from partners. What actions have partners undertaken as a result of this?

The Mayor: The HIS was developed and is being delivered in partnership. While the HIS annual report focuses primarily on my role, I do not act alone, and many of the achievements highlighted have been, and will continue to be, delivered in partnership.
Alongside this, we have worked very closely with London partners to influence action in areas where they have significant influence. For example, we successfully advocated for HIS priorities such as air quality and social prescribing to be included in the NHS Long Term Plan, and for more commitments to supporting children’s mental health. The new London Vision also reflects many of the HIS priorities, like child obesity and homeless health.
There is still further work to be done – it is a ten year strategy - but partners are committed to working with us on health inequalities.

Organisations receiving funding through the cladding remediation funds

Andrew Dismore: Please provide a list of all organisations and the amount of funding each has received from the cladding remediation funds administered by the GLA?

The Mayor: Releasing a list of the organisation which have received funding from the Private and Social Sector Cladding Remediation Funds may compromise the anonymity of ACM-clad buildings. This would risk the safety of residents in these buildings.

Taxicard Customers (1)

Navin Shah: Can you provide the number, and the nature of Taxicard customer complaints since the re-awarding of the Taxicard contract to CityFleet last year?

The Mayor: Although Transport for London (TfL) is the majority funder of the Taxicard scheme, the scheme itself is managed by London Councils on behalf of the London boroughs. As London Councils manages the service it, rather than TfL, monitors the overall number and nature of customer complaints.
TfL is, however, working closely with London Councils to improve the overall reliability of this vital service for older and disabled Londoners. To this end, it has facilitated meetings between London Councils, the contract supplier (CityFleet) and TfL’s Taxi and Private Hire Directorate to help identify ways to improve the supply of taxis available to cover Taxicard requests.

Taxicard Customers (2)

Navin Shah: What steps are taken when Taxicard customers have poor experiences with drivers?

The Mayor: As described in my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/21002, while Transport for London (TfL) is the majority funder of the Taxicard scheme, the scheme itself is managed by London Councils on behalf of London’s boroughs.
Where there are serious complaints about driver behaviour that may contravene their licensing requirements, these can be passed by CityFleet or London Councils to the TfL Taxi and Private Hire enforcement team, who can then consider whether the complaint merits further action in respect of the drivers’ Hackney Carriage licence.

Residential Tube Noise (3)

Navin Shah: The performance of TfL in dealing with tube noise, from my experience of local casework, is patchy. One of my residents has said to me “I am awaiting an update regarding the intrusive noise on the part of the Jubilee Line known as The Kingsbury Curve. This issue is now almost six months old, and we seem to be no nearer to getting the noise reduced.” I accept that measures for such problems are complex. However, how can TfL improve its performance so that it retains trust of residents and that the issues are dealt with in a timely manner?

The Mayor: Addressing Tube noise is a priority for me, and I continue to stress to Transport for London (TfL) the importance of minimising noise levels for its neighbours. I know TfL is working hard to achieve this.
I am aware of the issues that residents have experienced between Wembley Park and Kingsbury.
TfL has put in different solutions in recent months to try and reduce noise levels, including adding extra lubrication to the track. However, as you acknowledge, this is a complex area of work and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
TfL will shortly begin work to reduce the cant (the height difference between the two rails), which it anticipates will reduce noise levels. TfL will be writing to local residents who have been impacted by noise issues this month, to keep them updated on this work.

Deaf Awareness Training

Keith Prince: Arriva Rail recently launched a deaf awareness training tool for London Overground employees to make rail travel more conducive for commuters with a hearing disability. Are London Underground employees given the same training?

The Mayor: Yes. Transport for London has been offering deaf awareness and introductory British Sign Language course to all of its staff for a number of years.

Services between Willesden Junction/Shepherd’s Bush and Clapham Junction

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you request that TfL introduces earlier weekday southbound services between Willesden Junction/Shepherd’s Bush and Clapham Junction, making use of two early trains which currently run empty along this route? These additional passenger services would benefit early shift workers and those finishing night shifts, who are currently forced to use alternative transport.

The Mayor: Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will ask Transport for London to consider the feasibility of this change, in terms of its cost and impact on existing timetable arrangements and staff rosters.

Bus Route 205 and Freedom Pass Usage

Jennette Arnold: Please provide details of freedom pass usage on the 205 bus route from August 2018- November 2019 broken down by months

The Mayor: The attachedtable shows the number of passenger journeys on route 205 made using a Freedom Pass (to the nearest 1,000) by financial period from August 2018 to November 2019.